Astral Dancer 02
by Aynslesa
Summary: Reposted in a new format, and with revisions. Sequal to Astral Dancer. Even after Cat's death, the Darkstars aren't entirely free of the Luna line. Now it's up to a new team of Guardians to retake the Astral Plane, and take down Lothos once and for all.
1. Chapter One

**Astral Dancer 02 **

**Chapter One**

Cataluna Anyaerica Carruthers looked around at the carnage that surrounded her. She knew she looked nearly as bad as her warriors. Her normally auburn hair was even darker with soaked blood, and her clothes were tattered and torn. They'd been at war for nearly thirteen hours now. Thirteen. The magic number. 

And now it was over. 

It was finally over. 

Injured, and beyond help, the 63rd Astral Dancer pressed herself up against the broken wall of what had once been the Diamond Lair. The once majestic estate which had been a safe haven for her since receiving her powers had been reduced to rubble. Beyond it, she could see the smoking shell of Obsidian, Onyx, and Ruby. Jasper's shield still held, but it didn't matter. The Jasper Guardian and his Dimension were gone, and the only way to restore them was to defeat the Darkstars. 

But that wouldn't be happening. At the start of the battle, the Astral Council had attempted to give the Pro-AD Guardians a chance to turn over to their side. Cat and her friends had refused. And when the Council once again demanded allegiance, the leader of the Darkstars, Lothos, had destroyed them. They didn't want a way out. They wanted bloodshed. 

It was this cold, ruthless act that had caused the remaining Guardians, the Supporters, to turn away from the Darkstars. But their support had been too little, too late. And Cat had been forced to watch as one by one, the closest friends she'd ever made were destroyed.

Marco Sinclair. In a last ditch attempt to take out Lothos, he'd unleashed the dreaded Emerald Destruction. He hadn't been as lucky to survive the backlash as he had been previously, and his sacrifice had been in vain as well. Lothos was unscathed.

Brooklyn. The young Leopardstone Guardian had declined the fighting and instead concentrated on healing his fellow fighters. When Helaine Votrin had thrown herself in front of him to prevent him for being attacked, she'd very nearly lost her life. Having already been healed from a mortal wound once, Brooklyn chose instead to use his lifeforce to power her. The new strength had allowed Helaine to continue fighting and survive the slaughter, but Brooklyn would never live again.

Kelsey DeWitt. Having recovered from her stasis lock, she had used up all her power to keep a protective shield around Cat, allowing her to go one-on-one with Lothos. But the shield had failed, and Lothos had overpowered her. Which left her where she was.

There were others who died as well. Amara. Elena. Lucas. Sid. Had Kyra survived? Had Koushiro? She didn't know.

A lump formed in her throat and she forced herself not to cry. _Vincent. _

Vincent Valentine was a considerably new Guardian, but as the Ruby he was one of the most powerful. And she had felt a connection to him, a connection she'd never had with anyone else. He had thrown himself in front of the blast that should have taken Xellos Metallium's life, and instead had given his. The irony of it was that both men competed for Cat's affection and couldn't stand each other, but Vincent had been willing to give it all up so that Cat wouldn't have to go through the pain of losing her best friend. _But now I have to go through the pain of losing you, she thought. _

Lothos was speaking now. 

"Guardians!" he shouted. "As of now, you have two choices. The first – give up your jewels to us and return to your dimensions with your lives. The second – continue to fight and die in the attempt."

"Forget it!" Cat's head snapped up at Kyra's angry statement. She was alive! And beside her, looking like he'd been to hell and back, but very alive, was Koushiro. "We're not going to give up just like that!" 

"Your Astral Dancer is dead," snarled Lothos. "More than half of your force is dead. And you think you can survive this?"

A hand landed on Cat's shoulder. "Don't say anything," Xellos whispered. "Let them think you're dead."

She barely had the strength to look at him. "Xellos . . ." she said weakly. 

"You'll survive this, Cat," he said, wrapping his arms around her gently. "Come on. We're going home." He placed both the Obsidian and the Diamond in his pocket. 

"Wait." She turned back to the scene before her. Kyra was ready to fight. *_Kyra. Koushiro. My friends*, she whispered. *__If there's one thing I realized in this fight, it's that nothing is ever over. This battle may have been lost, but the war hasn't ended. We will get another chance. But we can't take these chances unless we're around to take them. Do as Lothos says. Give him your Jewels. There will be another day. For now, let's walk away from this with our heads held high._

_*And if I cannot return to lead you, my friends, then the next Astral Dancer will carry on my fight.*_

Her strength spent, she disconnected the link with her Guardians and fell back against Xellos. Xellos thanked the Lord of Nightmares again for the powers of a Mazoku, and the two of them disappeared.

The Darkstars never suspected a thing. 


	2. Chapter Two

Astral Dancer 02

**Chapter Two**

_Nine months later_

A scream pierced the night sky of the center planet of the Obsidian Dimension. It didn't alarm Xellos Metallium, but it did make him pick up his pace. One minute, he'd been lounging around Wolf Pack Island, waiting for Zelas' latest orders, and the next he'd gotten the call he'd been waiting for these past months. Ever since shortly after the War of 63. 

Catching sight of the smallish cabin, he killed his speed and landed nimbly on the ground. Then he ran straight for the door, throwing it open and running through it at the same time. It didn't even occur to him that he could've just phased right it. He did, of course, have more important things on his mind. 

"Calm down, Xellos," Lina Inverse said, looking at him strangely. "Jeez, you'd think _you were the one in labor or something."_

"How is she?" Xellos asked breathlessly, looking at the group assembled around him. Ever since his Guardianship had become public knowledge, he'd been amazed at the support the group had given him. Even Zelas, who's wrath he'd been the most afraid of, had rallied around him. 

At that moment, Amelia stepped out of the bedroom just as another scream pierced the air. Inside, they could hear Filia trying to soothe the distraught mother-to-be. Xellos repeated his question to her, and the Seyruun princess looked grim. 

"It's not going too well," she replied softly. "It seems that there are a few more complications than Miss Filia originally anticipated. The first was born five minutes ago, but there's another on the way."

Xellos stared at her in shock. _Twins? Cat's having twins? My God. While he knew that other dimensions, such as the one Cat was originally from, could easily deal with twin births, the Obsidian wasn't as technologically advanced. Even magic had a hard time making it easier. Often, at least one of the babies didn't survive. "How's the baby?"_

Here Amelia smiled. "A beautiful, if a little small, girl. She's already got a full head of hair – her father's – and her eyes are as green as Miss Cat's. And the minute she stopped crying after being born she fell asleep."

"Is she healthy?" Xellos prayed she was. If so, then this child could be the salvation they were looking for.

"Perfectly," Amelia replied. She glanced back at the door. "I better get back in there. I'll let you know when the other is born." She smiled encouragingly at Xellos, then darted back into the bedroom. 

Ten minutes later, they heard the sound of a second wailing, obviously from a baby. It stopped shortly after, and then everything was silent. Another five minutes went by before Filia and Amelia both exited. Filia, who herself was heavy with child, looked at Xellos. "You better get in there," she said, biting her lip. "She wants to talk to you."

Something was wrong. He could feel it. Xellos was up and in the bedroom in a flash, closing the door tight behind him. "Cat?" he whispered. 

She looked up at him from the bed, her pale face even paler than usually. But what shook him was her hair. A white streak was visible running down the middle of the auburn tresses. A sure sign of power exhaustion if he had ever seen it. Then he noticed the bundle of blankets she held in her arms. "My daughter," she said weakly, looking at the tiny bassinet next to her bed. "Could you get her?"

Xellos stepped over to the bassinet and stared at the small human in there. She stared up at him with slightly Asian eyes, only green rather than black. Already hair was visible on her head, as black as the man's who had helped give her life. She was perfectly calm and didn't protest when he lifted her out of the bassinet and carried her to her mother. 

He sat on the bed next to Cat and looked at the other baby. This one a boy, with lighter hair than his sister. Xellos suspected it would one day be auburn, or a very dark brown. But what startled him where the eyes. Neither green nor red, but dark blue, almost purple. He looked at Cat for an explanation.

"Before his curse," Cat said, smiling at her son, "Vincent's eyes were that color. It seems fitting that they be passed on to his son." She bit her lip and blinked away tears. "If only he could've lived to see his children. Or to even know that he would _have children. He didn't think it was possible, you know."_

Xellos smiled gently at his best friend. "There you go again, proving everyone wrong." He sounded choked up, but he didn't know why. He held up the girl so that her mother could see her. "I predict she'll grow up to be as beautiful as you."

Cat turned her head so that she could see her. "Promise me," she said, never taking her gaze away from the small child. "Keep them safe, Xellos. If _they ever found out . . ."_

"We'll both keep them safe," Xellos said. "You and me, Cat. We'll make Vincent proud."

Cat just stared at her daughter, then at her son. "Irvine Vincent," she said, naming the boy, "and Teraluna Catvictoria Valentine." A tear began to trickle down her cheek. "May the Darkstars tremble at last – the Moon Terror has been born."

Xellos chuckled at the words, then noticed that the room had become painfully silent. "Cat?" he whispered, looking away from Teraluna and focusing on her. "Cat?"

Irvine reached a hand for his mother, unable to understand why she was so still. 

And for the first time in his life, Xellos Metallium began to cry. 


	3. Chapter Three

Astral Dancer 02

**Chapter Three**

_From the journal of Xellos Metallium, 63rd Obsidian Guardian_

_It's been almost three weeks since Cat died. Filia's almost to full term, and recently Sylphiel determined that she's going to have twins, just like Cat. I can't help but feel a little fear for her. _

_I finally got up the courage to go through Cat's things – the few items she's saved from the War, and the ones she's collected while living here with Filia and myself. Up until yesterday, I'd actually been scared to look through it. Almost like I was afraid that the moment I did, Cat's death would be . . . real. _

_L-sama, I still have a hard time believing it. She survived the War of 63 and everything Lothos threw at her, only to have it end on what should have been the happiest moment of her life. _

_Anyway._

_Cat had never been much of a material person. Most of the things she cherished were people and memories. I guess that comes from living in the Emerald Dimension for the first fourteen years of her life. There wasn't much. Her cloak and dagger, the crossbow Vincent gave her, her wedding ring, a locket with a picture of Vincent on one side and Koushiro on the other, and the Diamond. There isn't much power left in the gemstone now that the Darkstars have control of the Astral Plane, just like there isn't much power left in the Obsidian, but Cat still cherished it. That gemstone came through for her so many times, I don't blame her at all. _

_I'm not going to get rid of any of it. Those were the only things that Cat possessed, and they're going right where they belong. I've already placed them in a magic-proof trunk on Wolf Pack Island, and I'll give it to Teraluna and Irvine when they're old enough to appreciate them. Cat would've wanted it that way. _

_Speaking of Tera and Irvy, as Filia and Amelia have dubbed them, the twins are growing in leaps and bounds. They're already a month old, and already they're very advanced for their ages. You can almost see their parents in them. Tera's a lot like her father – quiet and reserved, and would usually rather be alone then in a crowd of people. Irvine, on the other hand, looks for attention. You can't walk by him without him crying, and then you just have__ to pick him up. Kids have never been my forte, but you can't help loving these two. Filia and I have sort of 'adopted' them, and we're trying to raise them the way we think Cat and Vincent would've. _

_Oops. Fi-chan's visiting friends, and there's someone at the door. More later._

_Twelve hours later . . . I think_

_I can't think straight. I can't even write__ straight, it seems. L-sama, why? Why does this have to happen now?___

_I know why. Because Cat was the Astral Dancer, Vincent was the Ruby Guardian, and I'm the Obsidian Guardian._

_Luna Inverse, the Knight of Ceipheed, was at the door. She came as quickly as she could to warn me. Several high-power beings in our Dimension have been keeping tabs on the Darkstars, and something very disturbing has been happening._

_Guardians who had survived the war, and prospective Guardians who should've received the gemstones after their predecessors have died. Murdered. By the Darkstars. _

_It's only a matter of time before they realize that I'm alive. Cat and I both managed to escape undetected, and the official word is that we're 'Missing-In-Action', since our bodies were never recovered. My master and the other high powers have done a good job of concealing my presence, but they can't do it forever. They'll find me. And when they do, they'll find Irvine and Tera._

_They can't know. There is no way those foul creatures can know that they are the children of the most powerful Guardian and the most feared to date Astral Dancer. And Lothos would most certainly kill them. _

_There's only one thing I can do. I have to split up the twins. It's the only way to protect their identities. _

_I've made arrangements with someone in the Ruby Dimension. I don't dare disclose his name here. The Ruby runs on a different time-clock then Obsidian, and several years have already passed there since the War. This person has agreed to take Irvine and care for him. His wife runs an orphanage, and considering they just had a war, it'll be easy to pass the boy off as an orphan of that war. Tera will continue to live here with Filia and myself until she's old enough to defend herself. Then we'll see from there. _

_I fear for these children. _

_L-sama, please let them stay safe. _


	4. Chapter Four

Astral Dancer 02

**Chapter Four**

"Zephyus! Zephyus, wait for me! Come on, this isn't fair – you know I can't keep up with you when you fly!"

Zephyus Metallium smirked at his best friend for the last eight years of his life – okay, the only eight years of his life – as she desperately tried to keep up with him. Her long black hair streamed out behind her, and her green eyes were pleading with him to slow down. "If you can't keep up, Tera, you should've stayed home!" But he relented and landed nimbly on the ground.

Tera caught up with him, barely winded but obviously annoyed. "Stay home? With Zenya? You're kidding."

"Hey, hey, watch it," warned Zephyus. "I know my sister's a deranged, homicidal maniac, but she can't help her lineage." He pushed his blond bangs out of his face. "At least you're an only child."

Tera rolled her eyes. "I'm an orphan, plain and simple. And I'm sick and tired of your father dodging my questions all the time. All I want is to know something about my mother. I don't even have a picture of her!"

"Sometimes things are best left unknown," Zephyus said. He glanced at the sun. "Come on. It's almost noon, and Aunt Lina isn't going to wait for us forever. If we don't get there now, all the food will be gone!" 

Eight years had gone by since Cat's death, and Teraluna Catvictoria Valentine, though still unaware of her lineage, was growing to be more and more like her mother everyday. Although with a much quieter personality. Her best friend, Zephyus Metallium, and his sister Zenya were the children of Xellos Metallium and Filia Ul Copt-Metallium. For his own safety, Xellos had left the Mazoku race to make it harder for the Darkstars to locate himself and his family. It had meant giving up a good deal of power, but it was what had been necessary. Zelas still kept a watchful eye on her former priest/general, but she no longer called on him to do her every whim. 

When Zephyus and Tera reached the Greywords house, they were thrilled to discover that there was still plenty of food left. "Sorry we're late!" Tera called. "We both slept in!" 

Lina smiled at the two kids. "Don't worry, we made extra," she said. "Or, rather, Zelgadis made extra."

"Yeah. Everyone knows Mom can't cook worth anything," nine-year-old Graeme Greywords said, glancing at his mother. 

Lina glared at her only son, then tugged a lock of his red hair. "Watch it, young man, or I won't teach you any more magic for a month." 

Zelina, Graeme's eight year-old sister, giggled. Then leaned across the table, towards Tera and their friend Cassia. "Graeme's trying to get Mama to teach him the Dragon Slave," she stage-whispered. "He's been trying to stay on her good side."

Tera looked impressed. "The Dragon Slave, huh? Is he ready for it?" 

"Of course Graeme's ready for it," eight-year-old Cassia Wil Dani Seyruun said. "Graeme's the fastest learner out of all of us."

"Thank  you, thank you," Graeme said through a mouthful of food.

"Say it, don't spray it," snapped Valteirra de Seyruun, Cassia's  ten-year-old brother. Terry shook his head when Graeme stuck his tongue out at him, then turned to Zephyus. "Where's Zen?" 

Zephyus groaned inwardly. His best friend had had a crush on his sister since they were born, it seemed, and it was really annoying. "She's coming with Mom and Dad," he replied. "They're bringing more food."

As if on cue, Filia, Xellos, and Zenya walked into the backyard carrying a tray of pastries and, of course, tea. Terry immediately pulled up a chair – the only remaining chair – for Zenya. The half-Mazoku girl tossed her long violet hair of her shoulder and sat down. Without another word, she started in on the food. 

Lina walked over to Filia and Xellos. "I wasn't sure if you two were coming," she said. "Still laying low?"

Xellos nodded, looking tired and twice his age. "Has your sister told you anything?" he asked the sorceress.

Lina shook her head. "No. I haven't heard from Luna in almost six months. Maybe Valgaav's heard something. He's inside with Amelia and Zelgadis."

"I know," Xellos replied, "I talked to him before I came out here. He hasn't heard anything either."

Filia changed the subject then, and Xellos turned his attention to his children. Out of Zephyus, Zenya, and Tera, it was his son and foster daughter that he worried about the most. At the moment of their births, destiny had indeed played them a cruel hand. When the Darkstars did arrive – and Xellos knew in his heart that they would – they would have two options: fight, or die. 


	5. Chapter Five

Astral Dancer 02

**Chapter Five**

_The Diamond Catechism – formerly Diamond Lair_

A bright hologram was suspended in the air, in front of huge, ornately carved throne. Several dimensions were visible on the model, and within each were several universes, and several galaxies within those, and solar systems within those, and planets within those, and so on and so on. Right now, the star map was focused on the former Garnet Dimension. 

A red light blinking on the map of the Garnet's version of Earth suddenly went out. 

Lothos Devierre smiled. "That's another one down," he said to himself. "Those damn Pro-AD Guardians are such a nuisance. And so naïve, too – to think they actually believed I'd let them live after they surrendered."

"Lord Lothos?"

Lothos turned away from his model to focus on his second-in-command. "What is it, Seazar?"

Seazar, a former doppleganger with a nasty disposition, stepped forward. "I believe I have the news that you have been waiting for, my liege."

Lothos sat up. "Well?"

Seazar grinned in anticipation, then handed Lothos a disk. "The location of your cousin – Xellos Metallium."

Lothos took the disk and looked at it like it was the most valuable item in the astral plane. "You've done well, Seazar," he whispered. "You shall be well rewarded. But it will be I who will crush that damn Mazoku.

"Make no mistake about that."


	6. Chapter Six

Astral Dancer 02

**Chapter Six**

Xellos sat before the fire, just staring at the flames. Staring like he'd done since leaving the Mazoku race. 

"Xellos," Filia said, leaning on the back of his chair. "Namagomi, come to bed. It's late, and the children are already asleep." She ran her hand through his short violet hair. "Don't do this. Not now."

Her husband reached up and took her hand in his. "Something's wrong, Filia," he whispered. "The astral plane – it's trying to warn me." He closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Get the items."

Filia pulled back from him. "Now? But . . ."

"Do it, Filia," Xellos replied, standing up. He picked his Mazoku staff up from where it leaned against his chair. "Take it and get out of here. Take Zenya, Zephyus, and Tera, and leave."

"No," the golden dragon said stubbornly. He turned to face her.

"Don't argue, Filia."

"Xellos, I've risked everything to be with you," she said, walking towards him and looking him straight in the eye. "I gave up everything. My family, my species, my entire life. I'm not going to lose you now."  

Xellos looked at her. Then, quickly, he reached out and pulled her into a fierce embrace. "I've given up just as much," he whispered, pressing his face into her hair. "But I refuse to let my family suffer because of my past. Take the box, take the children, and leave. There's no time to lose." He pulled back slightly and kissed her. "I love you, Fi-chan."

"I love you, too, you stupid Namagomi," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Be careful."

"Always," he replied, wiping away a fresh tear. "Now go."

Filia turned away from him and walked over to a small trapdoor in the floor. Reaching in, she removed a small cedar box with a magical seal engraved on it. After that, she pulled out a cloth bundle. Then, with Xellos following behind her, she entered the room where her children slept. Her three children. Perhaps not by blood, but by circumstance. And she loved each other them. 

"Zen, Zeph," she whispered to the twins. "Come on. We're going out for a bit."

"Aunt Filia?" Tera sat up in her bed. She was wide awake. "Something bad's going to happen, right?"

As the other two groggily sat up and looked at their mother questionably, Tera turned her attention to Xellos. "I . . . I had a dream," she said to him. "Someone – he looked just like you, only . . .  I don't know. But he came. Tonight." She started to shake. "Uncle Xellos? What's going on?"

Xellos walked over to her and knelt in front of her. "Nothing you have to worry about," he said softly. "Go with Filia. She's going to take you to Seyruun. You'll be okay there. You won't have to worry about the man who looks like me."

"What about you, Father?" Zephyus asked. "Are  you coming with us?"

"I'll see you as soon as I can," Xellos promised, hugging both of his children. "Be good for your mother. And don't worry. I'll be fine."

"Daddy, come with us," pleaded Zenya, tugging on his shirt. 

Xellos looked at Filia, who nodded. She tucked the box and bundle in the folds of her skirt, then pulled all three towards her. "Sleep," she whispered. When the spell had taken effect, the four of them vanished in a soft golden light. 

Xellos stood up and walked back into the main room. _She's already having visions, he thought. __Take care of them, Filia._

"Hello, Xellos."

Xellos Metallium froze, and looked at the person standing in the middle of the living room. "You," he said. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Lothos Devierre smirked at his cousin. "Where's Cataluna Anyaerica Carruthers?"

Xellos swallowed. He knew he could never lie to his cousin. "She's dead," he replied. "For the last eight years." 

Lothos stared at him long and hard. "You're telling the truth," he said, nodding. "Then tell me another thing. How did she die?"

And there was the question he could never answer. Never, not in a million years. Struggling against the control his cousin had over him, he replied, "Sore wa himitsu desu."

Lothos narrowed his eyes. "You _will answer --!" _

"_Ra Tilt," whispered Xellos. As a Mazoku, it was impossible to unleash that spell. _

As the Obsidian Guardian, it was easier than breathing.

Xellos closed his eyes as the spell tore through his body, using up the last of his strength. As he felt himself begin to fade, to be taken away to that place where every Guardian goes after their reign ends, he forced himself to stare through his now-white bangs and watch Lothos,

Did he have any idea? Any idea of what Xellos had been planning? 

Judging from the triumphant smirk on his face, no.

_I'm sorry, Zephyus, he whispered._

And Xellos Metallium, 63rd Obsidian Guardian, died. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Astral Dancer 02

**Chapter Seven**

_Sunrise_

"NOOOOO!" screamed Zenya as she watched the house she had grown up in burst into flames. "DAAAAAADDDDYYYYYY!" 

Filia pulled her daughter towards her and held her tightly, staring at the smoldering building. It didn't hurt nearly as much for her, seeing her house destroyed like that. She knew that Xellos hadn't been alive when it had happened. Months earlier, he'd told her what he would do should his cousin ever come calling. Xellos was the type of person who would rather die than give away anything that would endanger his family

She looked at Zephyus and Tera, who stood silently next to each other. They, too, were watching the fire. But she couldn't tell what they were thinking. That wasn't unusual for Tera – the young girl often kept her feelings to herself. But it was scary seeing her own son like that. That they were holding hands was the only sign of any emotion they were showing. They were giving each other the strength to not breakdown.

Filia reached into her pocket and removed the small box she'd taken from the house. In it, she knew that two gemstones lay in the velvet lining. The Diamond and the Obsidian. Neither had substantial power anymore, now that the astral plane belonged to the Darkstars. She wasn't even sure why Xellos insisted she take them. If they were useless, what was the point? 

But Xellos had been the Obsidian Guardian. He knew more about this stuff than she ever would. Slipping the box back into her pocket, she stood up and wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes. "Come on," she said softly, taking Zenya's hand and reaching out another to her son. "It's time to move on."

Zephyus silently took his mother's hand, but didn't move until she tugged on it gently. Tera followed quietly, never releasing her grip on Zephyus. 

_It came true, she thought miserably. __My dream came true. Again._


	8. Chapter Eight

**Astral Dancer 02**

**Chapter Eight**

"_Flare Arrow!"_

KA-BOOM!

"Hey, watch where you're aiming those things!" fifteen-year-old Valtierra de Seyruun walked into the courtyard, glaring at the fourteen-year-old in front of him and brushing back a piece of singed hair. "You're getting pretty dangerous with those things."

"Reckless is more like it," Zenya said, appearing out of nowhere and sliding an arm through Terry's. 

"Oh, shut up." Tera stretched luxuriously and glared at her foster sister. "I don't see you practicing your magic."

Zenya glanced away, her violet hair falling in her face. "You know I'm not interested in learning magic anymore, Tera," she said softly. 

Tera immediately wished she hadn't said anything. Shortly after Xellos' death, Zenya had fallen into a deep depression that she'd only come out of two years later. Since then, she'd refused to further her magic studies or figure out how to enhance her Mazoku abilities, despite Zelas' urgings. One good thing had come out of her recovery, however – she was no longer the little annoying brat that everyone disliked. Now she was more a part of the group, and had bonded with Terry's younger sister, Cassia. And, of course, Terry. Tera wasn't sure who'd been shocked more, Zephyus or Valtierra, when Zenya began to return the latter's affections. 

"Speaking of practice," Terry said after a minute or two of silence, "Zephyus was looking for you earlier, Tera. Something about meeting him outside the city for sparring."

Tera's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. "I completely forgot! Thanks, Terry!" She pulled the hood of her cloak up. "_Ray Wing!" _

Zenya and Terry watched as she flew off. "There's something about her that puzzles me," Zenya muttered.

He looked at her with interest. "Oh?"

"Tera was around before Zephyus and I were born," Zenya said, narrowing her eyes. "And Mom won't tell any of us about where she came from, and why she and Dad took her in."

Terry smoothed back her hair and smiled at her. "I'm sure if your mother wants you to know, she'll tell you. But right now, we're supposed to be meeting Graeme and Cass in town. And you know how those two hate to be kept waiting."

Zephyus glanced impatiently up at the sky again. _Where is she? God, that girl is always late. I can't wait here all day! _

"Sorry!" Tera shouted as she landed easily in the field. "I lost all track of time. It's a good thing you talked to Terry, or I never would've remembered!"

Zephyus grinned at his best friend. "Why am I not surprised?" he asked. He casually blew a piece of unruly blond hair out of his eyes. "I hope you're ready, because I'm not going to go easy on you." He held up his hands, ready to defend against anything she might throw at him.

"Rules of the game," Tera replied. "Skin only. No weapons, no magic. First to break that rule allows the other to do so as well, no consequences. Match is over when one either forfeits, or falls unconscious. Got it?"

Zephyus nodded. "Got it."

"Hiiiyaaa!" Tera cried, lunging for the half-dragon. She threw a straight punch for his face, which he easily blocked, and then ducked under his arm as he attempted to mirror the same move. Leaping nimbly in the air, she twisted around and landed on her hands, absorbing the impact. She swept her leg around to try and knock Zephyus off his feet, but Zephyus easily stepped out of the way. Then, faster than she could see, he was behind her and wrapping his arms around her, pinning her arms to her side. 

"Hey, no fair!" she shouted, struggling. "Let me go!" 

Zephyus chuckled in her air. "I don't think so," he murmured. "I've got you now, little girl."

"I'm four months older than you, Zeph, now _let me go!" she hissed. But she stopped struggling, and instead just leaned into his arms. "Phew, I'm tired. And that wasn't a very long match, either."_

"About five minutes," agreed Zephyus. "Ready to head back?"

Tera shook her head. "Nah. We've got time to kill before dinner. Let's rest for a minute. Then we can start up again. And no more of this sneaking up behind me crap. That's not fair and you know it. Agreed?"

Zephyus just smirked. "Sore wa –"

"Don't even think about it."

A shadowed figure watched from atop a cliff overlooking the field. _So that's him, he thought. __That's the one with astral energy. He certainly looks like that annoying Mazoku. Lord Lothos will be very pleased. The Darkstar brushed his white hair out of his eyes. __Very pleased, indeed. _

"Hey, did you hear something?" Tera asked suddenly, looking around. 

Zephyus frowned. "Yeah. Sort of." 

The two of them looked up towards the cliff, but Seazar had already disappeared.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Astral Dancer 02**

**Chapter Nine**

It was late by the time Zephyus and Tera finally headed back to Seyruun. Both thoroughly exhausted from practicing, they opted to walk rather than fly. Zephyus was more tired than Tera, so he couldn't even transform into a dragon and give her a lift. 

"Hey, Tera?" he asked suddenly, stopping in the middle of the road. "You get the feeling that we're being followed?"

Tera frowned and nodded uncertainly. "Actually, yes. I've been getting that feeling for awhile now. 

They looked at each other nervously. 

Something moved behind them. 

Zephyus shoved Tera out of the way as a huge claw came out of nowhere and pierced the ground in front of them. He leaped over it as it attempted to move backwards and cut into his body, and he landed easily next to his friend. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "I didn't mean to push you so hard."

"I'd rather be bruised than dead," Tera assured him. "What is that thing?"

The black claw just sat there in the middle of the road. "It isn't moving," whispered Zephyus. 

"I know," Tera whispered back. 

Suddenly the claw pulled itself out of the ground and raced towards them. A small opening appeared in its palm. "DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!" howled a raspy voice from the opening. 

Tera and Zephyus both gasped and froze, completely shocked at what they were seeing. A claw with no visible body had a mouth? That was impossible . . . 

"_RA TILT!" _

The powerful astral spell slammed into the creature, and it disintegrated. 

Zelgadis and Valgaav ran towards them and helped them up. "Let's get you back home," Zelgadis said, frowning. He glanced at Valgaav. "It's happening again."

The Ancient Dragon nodded grimly. 

Filia sighed and looked at her son and adopted daughter. Both teenagers were sitting silently in the kitchen, staring at the countertop. Neither of them seemed to be willing to talk about what had happened. Filia had been shocked when Zelgadis and Valgaav had told her what had happened, but hadn't been too surprised. She just hadn't expected it to happen so soon, and like it did. 

"Zephyus," Filia said, "Tera." They looked up at her. 

"Konnichiwa, Filia," Tera said softly. "You wanted to talk to us?"

Filia nodded and motioned for them to follow her. She led them into her bedroom, and closed the door behind her. "I need to tell you both something, something very important. Do you remember when Xellos died?"

"Like we could forget, Mother, we were there," Zephyus said bitterly. He didn't like to be reminded of his father. "He died in an explosion."

"Yes," Filia said, reaching into her dresser drawer and removing a small wooden box. "But it was an explosion he caused."

Both of them looked at her with questions in their eyes. 

"The creature you saw today was, in all probability, a Darkstar. The Darkstars are a race similar to the Mazoku, but broke off them several millennia ago. The two species hate each other with a passion." Filia fingered the design on the wooden box. "The Darkstars exist in astral lifeforms, and as such can not be defeated by normal weaponry or sorcery. To regulate their threat, a Council was created of beings with high astral powers. But this Astral Council was confined to a small pocket dimension, and was unable to do anything to stop them. So they created a servant of sorts – the Astral Dancer. And she, in turn, created a Guardian for each of the several hundred Dimensions that existed. This is the Obsidian Dimension.

"The last Astral Dancer was Cataluna Anyaerica Carruthers. Your father, Zephyus, knew her better than I did. She turned against the Council when they betrayed her, and discovered that they had made a deal with the Darkstars. But in return, the Darkstars betrayed the Council, and destroyed them all. Then they staged an all-out war on the Astral Dancer and her Guardians. Xellos was one of them. 

"After the war, which resulted in the deaths of many Guardians, Xellos and Cat retreated here. Nine months later, Cat died giving birth to a daughter." Filia looked at Tera. "That daughter was you, Teraluna Catvictoria Valentine."

Tera's eyes widened. "M-me?" she stammered.

Filia nodded. "Yes," she said. "You. You are the daughter of the 63rd Astral Dancer, and the rightful owner of this." She opened the wooden box and removed a brilliant diamond. "This Diamond was your mother's power source – it enabled her to use the powers of the Astral Dancer. But now that the Darkstars have control over the astral plane, there's hardly enough power left in it. Perhaps enough to transport you to another dimension."

Tera blinked. "To another . . . are you saying you want me to leave, Filia?"

"No way!" Zephyus burst out. "Why, Mother? Why does Tera have to leave?"

"We must get her back into hiding before the Darkstars realize who she is," Filia replied. "You were not the intended target this time, from what I gather. Zephyus was."

Now it was Zephyus' turn to stammer. "But what would these things want with me?"

"Because you are the oldest child of Xellos Metallium," Filia said. "You and Zenya may be twins, but you were born twenty minutes earlier. You are the 64th Obsidian Guardian. The day Xellos died, he left you a legacy, Zephyus. The Obsidian," here she removed the second gemstone from the box and handed it to her son, "belongs to you."

Tera stared at the Diamond. "Filia," she asked, "what about my father? Do you know?"

Filia sighed. "I never met him personally, but your father was the 63rd Ruby Guardian, Vincent Valentine. He died during the War of 63, the day after your parents were wed. He never knew he was going to be a father."

"I see." The young Astral Dancer stared at the floor. "So you're saying that I have to go to another dimension and hide out, are you? Just let these Darkstars continue doing what they're doing, and hope they don't realize who I am?"

"Until you can claim your full power, yes," Filia replied. "Zephyus, Xellos kept a journal. It's on Wolf Pack Island at this moment, but in it, he wrote about a power similar to the astral powers, but stronger. Supposedly, it was created by the same high powers that created the original gemstones for the Guardians. You must go to Wolf Pack Island, retrieve this journal, and find this new power. It will be enough to drive the Darkstars out of the astral plane.

"Tera, the Diamond will take you to another dimension when you ask it to. Take it, and focus. I can't tell you where you'll end up, but let's hope that it's a place where there is another Guardian that you can team up with. Darkstars have been destroying Guardians and their successors, so I hope you're able to find someone. You'll be on your own, however." Suddenly Filia snapped her fingers. "But before you go, there's something else I have to give to you."

Filia stood up and went over to her closet, where she removed an object wrapped in a black cloth. She handed it to Tera, who unwrapped it slowly.

It was a crossbow, made of smooth, dark wood and a strong metal. Turquoise and amethyst diamonds lined the sides of it, and handcrafted bolts were already loaded into it. Also nestled in the cloth was a small quiver of bolts, designed to be attached to the shooter's hip. "It was given to your mother by your father," Filia said. "Tera, I'm asking you to follow your destiny and free the astral plane from the Darkstars' hold. We've been living in terror and fear ever since they came into power, and you're our last hope. Both of you. Will you go, Tera? Will you follow the path your mother has laid out for you?"

Tera looked up from the crossbow. Slowly, she took the Diamond from Filia's hand. "What choice do I have?" she whispered. "I'll do it."

Zephyus nodded as well. "I guess I'm up for it," he said, looking at the Obsidian. "Wolf Pack Island, huh? Shouldn't be too hard."

"When do I leave?" Tera asked. 

Filia sighed. "As soon as possible."


	10. Chapter Ten

**Astral Dancer 02**

**Chapter Ten**

Tera stood in the middle of the courtyard, staring at the Diamond in her hand. _Mother, she thought, __now that I know the truth, now that I know what my dreams have been trying to tell me – I will__ follow the path you have laid out for me. I will live up to your hopes for me. _

"Are you ready, Tera?" Filia asked, looking at her adopted daughter.

Tera nodded. Then, quickly, she spun around and threw her arms around the golden dragon. "No matter what," she said, her words muffled as her face pressed against Filia's dress, "you'll always be my family, Aunt Filia."

Filia wrapped her arms around the young girl. "You've been like a daughter to me," she whispered. "Do your mother proud, Teraluna Catvictoria Valentine. I know that she had great things planned for you."

She drew in a deep breath and stepped away from Filia. Then she noticed Zenya and Zephyus, both standing slightly off to the sides. "You two take care of each other, okay?" she asked, looking at them. "I'll be back someday. I promise."

Zephyus managed a crooked smile. "Yeah, I know. Just . . . don't take too long."

Zenya looked a little downcast. "I know you and I have never seen eye to eye, Tera, but . . ."

"I know," Tera said simply. There were no words to express the bond that had formed between the two girls, simply by them being what they were. _You're my sister, Zenya, as much as Zephyus is my brother and Filia my mother. But I now know that I have a true family out there, and a destiny that they've left me. She turned back to Filia. "I'm ready."_

"Then take the Diamond into your hands, and think of safety," Filia said. "Transmit your desires to the Diamond, whether you're aware of them or not. Then speak its true name, and may the gods protect you."

Tera grasped the gemstone in her hands and closed her eyes. _Safety. A place where I can belong. A place where I won't be alone. "Diamond," she whispered._

There was a flash of light, so bright that everyone was forced to cover their eyes. Everyone except for Zephyus. He stared into the brightness and watched as his best friend faded away. 

Suddenly, familiar words, and yet unfamiliar at the same time, crept into his mind. It wasn't in his own voice, either, but rather, a voice of the past. 

_*May the Darkstars tremble at last – the Moon Terror has been born.*_

It was dark, cold, and dismal. Something very rare for a colony in the middle of space, where the environment was supposed to be controlled through generators. Usually these generators made every day sunny. The operators must've been having a bad day. 

For the ones used to shaky weather conditions, it wasn't that bad. The circus had been to nearly every colony and country under Earth jurisdiction, and they'd had their share of good times and bad times. It didn't bother them at all, and they had a show to get ready for the next night. That was all that mattered: Opening night. 

Off to one side of the main tent, a lion paced restlessly in its cage. Its mate, a smaller, younger lioness, lounged about in the back. She was heavy with her first litter, and everyone was eager to see how the cubs would turn out. Right now, though, the lion wanted dinner for him and his mate, and he was getting increasingly frustrated with the human in charge of feeding them.

"Calm down, my friend," a tall young man said, carrying a bucket of meat towards the cage. He set it down outside the bars and rubbed the large feline's nose. The lion let him do it, because he knew he could get food out of it. The young man laughed as the lioness flicked her tail at her mate, clearly telling him to stop messing around. 

Once the lions were happily gnawing away at their dinner, the teenager carried the empty bucket back to the storeroom, where he found his older sister busily measuring out grain for some of the horses. "That was quick," she said, not taking her eyes off the grain sack. "Every time I have to feed them, they snarl and hide in the back of their cage."

"You just have to know how to talk to them, Cathy," her brother said, looking at her. "Did the mail come yet?"

"Yeah," Catherine said, nodding. "You got a letter – it's on the table back at the trailer. Are you sticking around for dinner?"

He shrugged. "I'm not feeling that hungry right now, actually." He glanced down at the ground and sighed. "I think I'm just going to turn in early. I don't feel up to attending the pre-performance party."

Catherine frowned. "Are you feeling okay?" 

"Yes," he said, looking at her. His eyes warned her not to push it. When he knew for a fact that she wasn't going to say anything else, he left the storeroom and headed towards the trailer that they shared. 

The generated rain drizzled down on him, but he took no notice of it. He couldn't shake the feeling that something important was going to happen. Pulling open the trailer door, he threw himself inside and grabbed the letter on the table. "From Quatre," he murmured, smiling. "I figured it'd be from one of them. I'll open it later." He went into his room, stripped of his shirt, and grabbed a couple of towels to take with him into the bathroom. He was sweaty from practice, and from lugging that meat around to feed the lions and tigers. He needed a shower, and he needed one now.

Moments before he went into the bathroom, a bright flash of light lit up the trailer. There was the sound of something falling, then crashing into something else as it landed. "Ow!" an unfamiliar voice cried. "That hurt! I'm going to talk to Aunt Filia about this the next time I see her. Stupid gemstone."

He dashed out of his room and into the living room. The light had died down by now, so it was impossibly to tell what had happened exactly.

All he knew was that one minute he'd been the only one in his trailer, and the next there was a strange girl dressed in a purple tunic and silver pants. Clutched tightly in her hand was large gemstone hanging from a gold chain. When she caught sight of him, she tucked the gemstone into her pants pocket and stood up, casually brushing off any dust or dirt she might have gotten on herself. 

"Hi," she said uncertainly. "Um . . . is this your house or something?"

"My trailer," he said, staring at her with emerald green eyes. There was something very familiar about this girl. He couldn't quite place what it was. "Who are you, where did you come from, and how the hell did you get in here?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. I'm looking for someone, and he or she is the only person I'm supposed to talk to. But I've never met them before."

"If you've never met them," the teenager said, "how will you know if you're supposed to talk to them or not?"

She looked thoughtful, then nodded gravely. "I guess you might be right." 

_Where have I seen that expression before? thought the young man. "What's your name?" _

"Tera," she said, holding out her hand. "And sorry for barging in on you like this. I don't really understand any of this myself."

He took her hand and shook it. "My name is Trowa," he said. "And if you start from the beginning, I might be able to help you."

Tera laughed and rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I'm not even sure if _that would help. Aunt Filia wasn't entirely clear on the details, and I'm not quite sure where to start, anyway. All I know is, I've got a bunch of demonic assassins who might be after me – right now, I don't even think they know I exist – and it's all because of my mom."_

"Your mom?"

"She died when I was a baby," Tera told him, "but she left behind a few interesting things. One of them was this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the gemstone. "Ever seen anything like it before?"

Trowa stared at the dangling Diamond in front of him, eyes wide. Tera was talking, but he wasn't really hearing what she was. It was suddenly as if he had been transported back in time, to a life he'd tried so hard to forget. Images, faces, began flashing across his mind. The faces of the dead, and of those who he supposed were probably dead. 

Tera took his silence as a no, and shrugged, slipping it back into her pocket. "It's okay if you haven't. But I gotta find someone who does. He or she calls themselves a Guardian, or something like that."

Trowa finally found his voice. "I haven't heard of anyone like that around here," he said. "But you're welcome to stay here until you can figure out what to do next."

"Where is here?" She looked around curiously. "And do you live alone?"

"With my sister," he replied, "and we're both in the circus. You can stay here for at least a night, then we'd have to talk to the headmaster. That okay?"

She nodded. "Sounds good. Can I use your bathroom?"

He pointed her in the direction. She thanked him and walked out of the room.

Trowa sat down on the couch and held his head in his hands. _Cat . . . had a daughter? _


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Astral Dancer 02**

**Chapter Eleven**

A lone wolf walked up and nudged Zephyus Metallium with its nose. Zephyus reached out and scratched the wolf behind its ear for a few minutes, never taking his eyes off the leather-bound journal that lay open in front of him. 

_Entry #121_

_I know that the day will come when the Guardians will have to fight back against the Darkstars. We cannot allow them to keep control over the astral plane forever. I've been pouring over old manuscripts that I managed to recover from the Obsidian Lair and smuggle back here. There's on in particular that speaks of another form of the Ancient Gems._

_Said to have been created by the Powers That Be, the Omega Gems were supposedly hidden in one Dimension. Finding that Dimension is the key to unlocking the power that just might be enough to destroy my cousin and release us from the curses that the Darkstars have created by coming into our lives. And I know for certain that the name of this Dimension lies in an ancient text. If only I could find it. _

_Entry #122_

_My search for the ancient text containing the name of the home Dimension for the Omega Gems ends here. _

_The Claire Bible._

_The original Claire Bible was once held in the Kakato Mountains, guarded by golden and black dragons. But after our encounter there with Demon Dragon King Gaav, the Bible's caretaker, Milgazea, took the manuscript and disappeared without a trace. As a safety precaution, of course. Ironic, isn't it? The one thing that holds the key to saving the astral plane and all of its dimensions, and it was right in front of me. _

That was the last entry in his father's journal. Entry #122 ended there, and the date was two days before Xellos had been killed by Lothos Devierre, master of the Darkstar race and Xellos' own cousin. Making him Zephyus' cousin as well. 

The half-dragon closed the journal and massaged his temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache take hold. "So close," he muttered, "he was _so close. The Claire Bible. It holds the key to finding the Omega Gems." He pulled his father's Obsidian out from underneath his shirt and looked at it. "I suppose you wouldn't be of any use. If you were, Father would've used you before." He sighed and dropped it back underneath his tunic. The wolf nuzzled his arm again, and Zephyus absently ran his hand along its back. _

"There has to be some way to track down Milgazea and the Claire Bible," he said to himself. He read over the last page, then smiled. "Maybe. That just might work."

The wolf looked at him strangely, but didn't flinch as Zephyus tucked the journal into a pocket in his cape, then disappeared. The wolf, after all, lived on Wolf Pack Island with Beastmaster Zelas. He was used to Mazoku coming and going.

"So, who is she?" Catherine asked in a hushed whisper. She was sitting at the table in the small kitchenette, watching the sleeping girl on the couch in the next room. Trowa was leaning against a counter, sipping a cup of tea as he too watched her sleep.

"She said she had a group of demons after her," Trowa replied, his voice soft and low so as not to wake her. "And she has Cat's Diamond. No one's seen the Diamond in years."

Catherine looked skeptical. "It's only been a little over a year since that whole mess, Trowa."

"In the Aquamarine Dimension, yes," Trowa agreed, "but don't forget, time moves differently in each dimension. Which is why it's entirely possible that this girl could indeed be the daughter of Vincent and Cataluna Valentine."

"I only met Cat once," Catherine said, "but you're right – this girl, Tera, does look an awful lot like her. In the face, mostly. I can't contemplate the hair."

"That came from Vincent," Trowa replied. He smiled sadly when he pictured his former Superior's face. "A man of few words, but by the Gods he could fight. He sacrificed himself to save the life of another Guardian – a Guardian he hadn't really gotten along with." He frowned. "I remember Cat took the Ruby from Vincent after she blessed him and he was taken to the Spirit Realm. I wonder what happened to it."

"Maybe she knows," Catherine suggested. "You said she had the Diamond."

Trowa nodded. "Perhaps. But I'm not quite ready to tell her who I am yet. Or rather, who I _was. Since I no longer have the Aquamarine, I technically cannot be considered a Guardian." He smacked the countertop with his hand and growled deep in his throat. "If I ever get my hands on the filthy Darkstar who has my gemstone, I'll . . ."_

"Get killed," his sister snapped. "Trowa, without that gem you can't even do magic. You're not a Guardian anymore." She sighed and shook her head. "Why can't you just move on? We can let Tera stay here for a little while, and then send her on her way. She'll never know you were the Guardian of this Dimension, Trowa." She looked at him pleadingly. "Please, Trowa. Just put it all behind you."

He refused to look at his sister. "One year ago, our time, a grave injustice was done when we lost to the Darkstars. Now they're destroying everything they touch. Soon it will begin affecting this universe. I may not have my gemstone, but I'm still the Guardian in spirit. I can feel my Dimension dying, Catherine.

"This girl, if she really is the daughter of Cat, is part of the 64th Generation, and a Luna as well. She could be the key to the salvation of the world. It's my duty to protect her. Even if it means giving my own life for her."

Catherine snorted in disgust. "And how do you propose to do that? You said so yourself that you won't tell her who you are."

Trowa smiled slightly. "I'll manage somehow."


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Astral Dancer 02**

**Chapter Twelve**

When Tera awoke the next morning, she was assaulted with the smell of bacon and eggs. She breathed in deeply. "Mmm," she murmured. "That smells good."

"Good morning," Trowa said from the kitchen. "Sleep well?"

Tera rose from the couch and walked over to him, straightening her tunic and redoing her ponytail. "Better than I have recently," she said, peering over his shoulder to look at the food. It was enough to make her mouth water. "For the first time, I didn't have any bad dreams."

"Dreams?" Trowa looked at her sharply. "What sort of dreams?"

Tera shrugged. "Lately, it's just been the same dream. A pair of black eyes staring at me – no face, just eyes – and then an explosion of white light. Then I'm trapped in what looks like a crystal box, and there's someone else there. A girl. I go over and ask who she is, and just as she turns around . . . I wake up. But I've had other dreams, too. Like when my Uncle Xellos died."

Trowa dropped the plate he was holding, and it shattered into a million pieces. He stared at the floor in shock. "Are you okay?" Tera asked, coming over to him. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts and nodded. "Yes," he said automatically. "The plate was slippery, that's all." He knelt down to pick up the broken pieces. "What was so strange about that dream?"

She started to help him with the broken dish. "There was this man who looked just like my Uncle Xellos – actually, he wasn't really my uncle, more like my foster-father – only he had black hair and black eyes. And he said he was coming. The next thing I knew, Aunt Filia was taking me, Zephyus, and Zenya out of the house, and then the house blew up. Uncle Xellos died in the explosion." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and Trowa realized that she had started to cry. "I was eight when that happened. I'm almost fifteen now."

"Do they know why the explosion occurred?" Trowa asked.

She shook her head. "Aunt Filia told me and Zephyus before I came here. One of the guys who's after me was most likely the cause of the explosion, although Aunt Filia didn't really go into many of the details. She said she didn't know the exact circumstances of the explosion, but she could guess what happened."

There was a knock on the trailer door. Catherine, who was just coming out of her bedroom, went to go answer it. Trowa and Tera ignored her. "Did she tell you the name of the demon?" Trowa asked.

Tera looked thoughtful. "I think so . . . maybe. I can't really remember – I had more than a few things on my mind at the time. But I think she said his name was Lagos or something like that."

Trowa stiffened. "You mean Lothos?" he whispered.

She snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that was it!" She looked at him curiously. "How did you know?"

Trowa sighed. "Tera, I –"

Catherine screamed.

Catherine stumbled back from the door and tripped over the coffee table. Standing in the doorway was a fur-covered, drooling, rheumy-eyed werewolf who's only thought seemed to be dinner. 

"Where is he?" snarled the werewolf, growling at Catherine. He bared his fangs. "Where is he?!"

"Looking for someone?" 

The Werewolf looked up just in time to get a roundhouse kick in the jaw. His head snapped back and he flew into the wall of the trailer, knocking several framed pictures down, many of which landed on his head. He let out a raging howl and charged for Trowa. 

With skill and grace that even Catherine hadn't realized he had, Trowa caught the creature by the arm and used its own momentum to throw it over his shoulder. Tera ducked around them and helped Catherine to her feet. "Get out of here!" shouted Trowa. 

"Come on," Catherine said, her eyes wide. "When Trowa Barton shouts, you always listen. I just wish he didn't have to do this in the trailer." The two girls ran for the doorway. 

The Werewolf and Trowa faced off, sizing each other up. "You haven't lost your touch," snarled the creature. "Killing you will bring me honor. I'll probably move up a couple of levels, at least."

"Darkstar," Trowa muttered. "What do you demons want with me now? I surrendered – I gave you the Aquamarine. What more do you want?"

"Your blood," his opponent growled. "Do you really think that Lord Lothos can afford to let you live? Destroying you will seal our possession over the Aquamarine Dimension for all eternity." His hand began to glow as he built up his magical power. Trowa's eyes widened. _This isn't good._

"Trowa, move!" Tera shouted from the doorway. She had run up to see what was happening after realizing that the fighting had stopped, and saw the Darkstar preparing a magic spell. Trowa didn't hesitate. He threw himself out the nearest window, through the glass and wood, and hit the ground rolling. Then he pulled himself to his feet and turned back to the trailer. 

"Little girl, you shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs," the Werewolf Darkstar said to Tera. "I'll give you what was intended for him."

"_Source of all power, Crimson fire burning bright, Gather in my hand and become an inferno!" Tera recited. "__Burst Flare!" _

Trowa once again hit the ground as the entire trailer exploded in a huge fireball. There was absolutely no question about where Tera had come from – only someone born and raised in the Obsidian Dimension could've used that spell without the help of a Guardian Gem. But it was also proof that she was unusual in another way, for only a Guardian could use a spell from one Dimension in another Dimension. 

A Guardian . . . or the Astral Dancer herself. 

The smoke and flames died down, and Tera stood in the center of it, her pants and tunic scorched from the flames. She was mostly untouched thanks to a quick protection spell. The Darkstar was nothing more than a charred heap of fur.

Trowa went to her side. "They're weaker," he realized. "In my day, a Darkstar couldn't have possibly been taken out so easily."

Tera was breathing heavily, obviously not used to exerting so much magic at once. "So," she said, "you're one of the Guardians."

"Aquamarine," confirmed Trowa. "Sorry I didn't tell you in the first place."

She shrugged. "No big deal. Let me guess, though – he wanted to kill you, right?"

"That's what he said," he replied. 

Tera cautiously approached the Darkstar's remains and knelt down beside it. Her long black hair blew gently in the colony's artificial breeze as she stared at it. "It's dead," she finally announced. 

By this time, the circus members had begun to come out to see what had happened. 

"Get her out of here," muttered Catherine to her brother. "I'll think of something to tell them, but the two of you _can't stay here. Go to Quatre's or something. Call me when you get there."_

"Thanks, Cathy," Trowa said gratefully. He took Tera's arm. "Come on. My motorcycle isn't far from here. We can't stick around anymore. The Darkstars are going to realize that this guy didn't kill me, and they're going to wonder how. The longer it takes for them to find out about you, the better. Understand?"

"You're certainly a chatty character when it comes to this stuff," Tera said, as she let herself be pulled along. "Before, you were all single sentences and stoic stares. What changed?"

"Life or death situations tend to distort a person's natural perspective on life," Trowa replied. "I found that out during the Eve Wars. Then I started dealing with psychopathic demons."

"What about Catherine?" Tera asked.

Trowa handed her a helmet. "She'll be fine," he said. "She learned to take care of herself when I was in hiding during the last war. That was when your mother was in charge."

"Did you know my mother?" Tera asked as she climbed onto the motorcycle behind him. 

"Yes," Trowa said. "Hold onto me." Tera wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed up against him as he revved the cycle's engine. "Your mother was a proud person, and she was Number One on the Darkstars' _and the Astral Council's hit list. Even before we discovered how twisted and corrupted they were, the Council and Cat never got along. She wasn't the 'ideal' Astral Dancer – i.e. she had a tendency to question their authority and do things her own way."_

As they hit the road and took off, Trowa continued to relate to Tera information about her family line. As much as he knew of it, anyway. "Cat was born in the Emerald Dimension, and she didn't have an easy time. That's where she first met Xellos Metallium – Uncle Xellos, to you. They went their separate ways for awhile until Cat got her powers. Eventually, most of the First Five – the Obsidian, Onyx, Emerald, and Jasper Guardians – were assembled. But there was one missing, and he was my superior: Vincent Valentine.

"Vincent was the Ruby Guardian, and his entire Dimension had been sealed off by the Darkstars for several Generations. Somehow, Cat found herself transported there – minus her astral powers, thanks to a particularly nasty Darkstar named Lothos – and met up with Vincent before either of them knew who he was. To make a long story short, the two of them fell in love and were eventually married. 

"The day after their wedding was the day the Darkstars attacked. The War of 63 only took twenty-four hours, but it was easily the most horrific experience I've ever witnessed. Many good friends died that day, including Marco Sinclair, the Emerald Guardian; Elena Vargas, the Jacinth Guardian; and Vincent Valentine."

Tera drew in a sharp breath. "But wasn't he . . ."

"You father had no idea Cat was pregnant," Trowa replied. "I don't think anyone did, except maybe Cat herself. I'm still not sure how she and Xellos escaped – I suppose that's something the two of them took to their graves. But I'm grateful that they did, or else you never would've been born."

Tera blushed, although she wasn't quite sure why. "What's so special about me, anyway? I mean, Aunt Filia kind of told me some things, but I didn't truly understand most of it."

"Your mother was called Cataluna; the Moon Cat," Trowa answered. "She was a daughter of the Moon, and as such a very powerful psychic. In fact, she was the most powerful Astral Dancer to date. And the most feared. 

"If the Darkstars knew you existed, they'd hunt you down until you were dead. They'd fear that Cat's power was passed onto you. And after seeing your little trick back there with the Burst Flare, I can see why it might worry them."

"That?" Tera shook her head. "That was just something Lina Inverse taught me. It was an easy spell to learn."

"Tera, not even a Guardian who specialized in the Flare series could pull off that spell," Trowa said flatly. He slowed the motorcycle down and pulled up in front of an old, run-down building on the outskirts of the colony. "Here we are."

Tera wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Yuck."

"It's temporary," he replied. "My friends and I used this place as a safe-house back during the Eve Wars a couple years ago. That was before I became a Guardian. It'll give us shelter until we figure out what the next step is."

"Next step?" Tera echoed.

He nodded and pushed open the door. It creaked slightly, and a dust cloud blew up momentarily, but otherwise it held. "Home sweet home."

"You have a lousy sense of humor," Tera said dismally. She walked into the one-room shack and looked around. "Not even a fireplace. This place is going to get cold." 

Trowa hit a light switch, and a dim bulb lit up. "But it won't be dark," he said. "That's something to be thankful for, at least."

She sighed. "I take it being the Astral Dancer isn't a very glamorous life."

"It gets easier once you actually have the powers," Trowa said. "I don't understand why the Diamond hasn't already recognized you, though."

Tera looked down at the dim jewel. "Aunt Filia said it was almost out of power. I think it's just a normal gemstone now. But Uncle Xellos was doing some research on a greater power before he died, and now Zephyus is supposed to be taking up where he left off."

"A greater power?" Trowa repeated.

She nodded. "Something called the Omega."


End file.
